Linn's Haunted House may have to delay opening after fire causes $20,000 in damage

Linn's Haunted House may have to delay opening for its 40th Halloween season after a fire broke out in the basement of the establishment.

While the fire was relatively small, it did set off the sprinklers resulting in an estimated $20,000 in damage. Now the owners are forced to start from scratch on the preparation process and are asking the community for help with covering the costs with less than 20 days until the scheduled opening night.

The haunted house could still open the first weekend of October, said co-owner Shari Linn. But, the opening could be delayed as Linn and her husband, Merlyn, assess the damage and restart preparations.

"We had pretty much everything done," Shari Linn said. "They had been up there and made sure everything was working and it was cleaned up. Now we have to do the cleanup again."

After fire, Linn's Haunted House has to foot the $20,000 repair bill

The Linns have owned and operated the haunted house since the mid-1980s in the basement of Linn's Grocery Store. The couple no longer owns the building, so they are unable to hold an insurance policy on the basement alone. While the owner of the store has insurance for the building, Shari Linn said that won't help them cover the expenses of the fire.

A GoFundMe fundraiser was created to help raise money for the repairs. The funds will be used to repair any damage from the fire in hopes of allowing the haunted house to open for the first weekend of October. As of Thursday morning, the GoFundMe had four donations totaling $585 raised out of the $20,000 needed.

What was damaged at Linn's Haunted House due to the fire?

The fire on Sept. 10 set off the sprinkler system which caused "extensive damage" to the walls, wiring and equipment in the haunted house, according to the GoFundMe.

The sprinklers left around 8 inches of standing water in the haunted house. Because of the water, Shari Linn said they can't turn the power on and haven't been able to access the basement to start cleaning up. All of the carpets that line the haunted house to keep the space dark had to be ripped out. Multiple walls also will have to be rebuilt and some items in the haunted house will have to be replaced.

"I guess they couldn't figure out how to get through, so they just went through the walls," Shari Linn said of the firefighters. "They wanted to go inside and look around to make sure there was nothing there."

Multiple fire trucks and ambulances responded to the market after the store owner reported smelling smoke. Ahman Douglass, firefighter and public information officer for the Des Moines Fire Department, said the department was notified about the fire at 12:35 p.m. and left the scene around 4:30 p.m. The department wasn't necessarily extinguishing the fire the entire time, but the salvage and overhaul as well as an investigation at the scene took substantial time.

The case is still under investigation, but it does not appear that the fire occurred due to any malicious intent, Douglass told the Register on Wednesday.

Linn's Haunted House on 40 years of serving scares

The iconic Des Moines haunted house was once a grocery store owned by the Linns. Merlyn Linn purchased the grocery store in his 20s and ran it for more than 60 years.

The haunted house experience started with the family's four children. Merlyn Linn built a haunted house for them out of his garage at his home in Des Moines. In 1984, Merlyn decided to go bigger and open Linn's Haunted House in the basement of the grocery store.

From 2023: At 85, Merlyn Linn still oversees his Des Moines haunted house that has scared generations

Linn's Haunted House frightened visitors of all ages with its dark spaces and suspenseful crawl areas, where actors waited to jump out at passersby. Each year Merlyn Linn added more to his haunted house, drawing out even bigger crowds every season.

Merlyn Linn is now in his late 80s and was diagnosed with cancer this year. Even with his diagnosis, he was looking forward to the upcoming Halloween season.

"It's something he really likes to do," Shari Linn said. "He kinda really needed it this year with all the other stuff he has been going through. He was really looking forward to it."

Those looking to help the Linn family cover the damage expenses can visit their GoFundMe called "Help Linn's Haunted House After Fire." They also have a Venmo account, @linnshauntedhouse, that is accepting donations.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Linn's Haunted House may delay opening after $20,000 in fire damage